--- title: "NASA’s New Moon Rocket Is So Huge You Can See It from Space" description: "When you look into the void, the void, inevitably, also looks back at you." date: "2022-03-22" modified: "2022-03-22" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/sls-satellite-image" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "artemis 1" - "NASA" - "satellite imagery" - "sls" - "the digest" --- # NASA’s New Moon Rocket Is So Huge You Can See It from Space ![When you look into the void, the void, inevitably, also looks back at you.]() *\Image: Airbus Space\* ## Stargazing When you look into the void, the void looks back. At least, that seems to be the case for NASA's Moon-bound Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket, as it [moved to the launch pad]() at Kennedy Space Center last week to prepare for testing. As [spotted by *Space.com*](), a satellite snapped images of the SLS all the way from orbit, illustrating just how gargantuan it really is. Airbus' Pléiades Neo satellite happened to get some shots of the SLS and the Orion spacecraft that tops it as NASA prepares to test for the forthcoming Artemis 1 lunar mission, and they are absolutely incredible. Airbus also had a hand in building the SLS, so the company is inspecting its own handiwork. https://twitter.com/AirbusSpace/status/1504929525918060554 ## Testing 1,2,3 Though NASA's first lunar mission [since the early 1970's]() isn't expected to head to the Moon until May at earliest, the SLS and Orion capsule are already out on Kennedy's launch pad to test the uber-expensive megarocket. In another post, [*Space.com* pointed out]() that it took a whopping 11 hours to get the SLS from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the launch pad via a [6.5 million pound "crawler" transporter](), and the VAB itself was said to have the largest doors in existence so that the rocket, which [measures 212 feet tall]() and more than 27 feet wide, could exit. https://twitter.com/NASA_SLS/status/1504600229940707328 Because the [SLS is billions of dollars over budget]() and took a decade to build, seeing it not only finished but getting ready for launch is extremely exciting. It's still [going to be wildly expensive]() to operate, but hey, at least it's finally finished! **READ MORE:** [NASA's new moon rocket spotted from space rolling to the launch pad (photos)]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on the SLS:** [*NASA Descends Into Chaos as Moon Program Revealed to Be Way Behind, Over Budget*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()